PICKLEBALL REFEREE HANDBOOK
© 2006 Robert Lanius
The procedures, techniques,
and tips in this handbook are based on the experience of referees who officiate
at tournaments. Accordingly, this handbook is meant to serve as a general guide.
There is no cookie-cutter approach to refereeing. The best referees have their
own mannerisms and styles. One of the best ways to develop your own style is to
sit near a court where an experienced referee is working and pay
close attention to the referee, not the match. When observing experienced
referees, notice where the referee stands, looks, observe their technique, and
listen to the pacing of the score. Note the procedures that are automatic. From
these observations, develop your own style and pace.
Rules are references are to
the United States of America Pickleball Association 1999 Tournament Rulebook.
The references are in parenthesis.
Nothing you do as a referee should focus attention on you. The best referees control a match quietly and
unobtrusively by their “presence”. When a decision is to be made or confusion
exists, the referee is expected to resolve it. A player may question a rules
interpretation, but not a referee’s call. If
a rule interpretation is needed, get help from the tournament director or
referee manager, not the players.
Never be afraid to make a mistake.
When you know you have made an error, forget about it and move on. Pondering
mistakes during a match is distracting and may lead to further mistakes. After
a match, review your procedures and learn from your errors.
BEFORE THE TOURNAMENT
Review
the rules of Pickleball and any special regulations that might apply to the
tournament you will be working. The current rules are available on www.USAPA.org. Discuss unusual situations and
rules interpretations with other referees. These discussions will help get you
into the correct frame of mind. You must know the rules, on-court procedures,
and techniques thoroughly. When you doubt yourself, you take longer to make
decisions and appear tentative.
BEFORE THE MATCH
Mental
Preparation
Players prepare mentally for
each match, and so should referees. Thinking ahead about the match and court
conditions will help you make the right decisions promptly and prevent
problems. Prepare the score sheet and mentally run through possible problems.
Consider the weather and court conditions. Will the spectators be an issue?
It
may be helpful to think about the match and the players. Will they be
aggressive with a lot of close net play and battles or do they play from the
back of the court? Do not try to anticipate who should win the match. This can
lead to many distractions and might influence your decisions on the court.
Physical
Preparation
A typical match of 2 out of 3
games could take up to an hour to play. Go to the bathroom before going on the
court. Make sure you have your supplies (hat/cap, clipboard, score sheet,
pencils, spare balls, water) and other items ready. Include any other items you
have learned through experience that might be helpful to have on hand.
Court
Preparation
Player
Meeting before the Match
When the players arrive at the
court, conduct your pre-match meeting at the net. Make sure both players (and
at least one from each doubles team) are there for the meeting and the
decisions of side and serve. Choose the player who will make the call. Never
ask who would like to make it.
Each
decision you make – each question you anticipate and answer – helps you,
however subtle, to establish control. Each time you let the players dictate
action before a match, you surrender control. On the other hand, do not be a
dictator or overly assert authority. Such behavior could hurt you even more
than being uncertain during the pre-match meeting.
If
there are any special conditions, tell the players and then ask, “Any
questions?”. If there are questions answer them
confidently. When you are confident and well prepared without being cocky,
arrogant, or overbearing, you have set the right tone for the start of the
match.
Items
to cover during the meeting (Items in parenthesis are USAPA Rule Numbers):
Warm-up
While the warm-up goes on,
complete the necessary portions of your score sheet: which sides were chosen,
what sides players are starting in doubles. Depending on the tournament and
schedule, warm-up time is normally 5 minutes.
Once
you are ready, begin warming up like the players. Loosen up your eyes and
sharpen your concentration. Follow the ball and mentally make a few calls.
Check with your lines people and make sure they are in position and ready. Stay
relaxed and mentally rehearse what you’re going to say.
When
three minutes have elapsed, announce “Two minutes”. If the players have not
practiced their serves, they typically like to get a couple in before starting.
When time is almost up, ask the players to wrap it up. Keep any announcements
simple and brief. The less you say the better.
MATCH
SPECIFICS
Play
has begun. What are your responsibilities? Everything! If the lights go out,
it’s your fault. If it starts to rain, the player will be annoyed with you:
Either you stopped play too quickly, or you let it go on too long (or both).
The list is endless. You are now completely responsible for the conduct of the
match, and no two matches are the same.
During the
Match
There is no one thing on which you must concentrate during a match. Rather,
there are several things. Most important of all, you must concentrate. You
cannot let your attention wander. When a player’s
concentration lapses, he or she loses a point. Similarly
when your concentration lapses, you begin to lose control of the match.
Always
appear confident. If you look nervous or puzzled, you lose control, even if you
are doing everything else correctly. Always think before you say anything. Know
what you will be saying before you say it.
Court
Awareness
As the player prepares to
serve, glance at his opponent to make sure he is ready to receive. Keep you
field of vision open, but concentrate more on the server. You are watching to
make sure he does not service fault. You are aware of the entire court, but as
the serve begins, you focus on the ball. Once the serve has been made, returned
by the receiving side, and then returned by the serving side, the players may
be at the non-volley zone. From this point on, your focus is on calling the
non-volley zone.
Always
be aware of what is happening on and around the court. If a ball rolls in from
another court or a piece of paper blows onto the court during play, stop play
immediately. Do not wait and hope the object is not bother the players, and do
not hope the point is over before anyone sees it. Nine times out of ten, you
will cause more problems by hesitating.
If
a player has not seen the problem, point it out. Communication always helps to
establish control of the match.
Overruling
Unless you are 100 percent
sure that the call is wrong, do not overrule. There is nothing worse than a bad
overrule. If you do overrule, it must be immediate. If you have to think about
the call, it is too late. To have credibility, the overrule
must be instantaneous. When you overrule late, you are guaranteed to have a
problem. The best referees rarely overrule, but when they do, it is an
instantaneous, confident decision.
Announcing
the Point
At the conclusion of every
point, be aware of the loser. Do not stare at them, but look toward them and
keep them in your peripheral vision as you announce the score. In most
instances, a complaint will come from the loser of the point.
Announce
the result of play in a conversational tone (Point, Side-Out, Second Server) Quickly record any point on the score sheet.
Do so promptly because your pace will subtly affect the pace of play. If you
take a long time after points, the players will subconsciously slow down.
Use everything to keep track of the game:
Announcing
the score
When the court and receiver
are ready, call the score to continue play. The receiver of the ball is
responsible for their partner. The referee does not know the team’s tactics and
where they wish to position themselves. Again, the referee sets the pace of the
match.
The
receiver can signal not-readiness by holding up their paddle or having their
back turned. The server still has a responsibility to check for receiver
readiness (4J2). After the score is called, if the server looks at the receiver
and the receiver is not signaling
“Not Ready”, the server may then serve. The receiver cannot signal “Not Ready”
after the serve is made (4J3).
Time-Outs
may be called by either team at anytime; except, 1) while the ball is in play,
and 2) after the server has started their motion (11A)
Service
should be made within 10 seconds after the score is called by the referee but
use reasonable judgment. You can tell when people are purposely delaying.
Single
games are slightly different. Because of the intensity of play during singles,
players frequently forget the score and where they should position themselves.
If the players are in the wrong position, kindly point the correct position or
say “The score will be x” so the player(s) know where to position themselves.
If you just call the score, players will get confused as to whether they need
to serve or you are just advising them of their incorrect position.
Communicating
with the Players
Communicate with the players,
but do not get chatty. Just as in your pre-match meeting, keep it simple and to
the point, but keep all players informed. When a player asks you a question, by
all means answer it. But be careful and respond to the question, not to the
emotion behind it. Stay in your referee position close to the net post. Going
to an angry player or following them around the court will simply continue the
discussion and delay the match.
Allow
the player to ask the complete question and be a good listener. You may know
the question before it is presented, but permit the player to make their case.
This will give you time to think about your response. When you do respond, be
calm and non-emotional. This may help to calm the emotions of the players.
Nothing makes a player angrier than a referee that will not respond to a
question. If a player asks, “Did you see that ball?,
do not respond by announcing the score. Say, “Yes, I did. I agree with the call”, or some similar response. Do not try to use humor or
sarcasm; it will backfire on you. Keep you response conversational and between
you and the players..
Cautioning
the Players
Players hate surprises, and
they like to know what is going on. If a player is taking a bit more than the
allowed time after calling the score, do not call a fault right away. Wait
until a convenient time and quietly tell him, “Watch the time; you’re taking a
little too long”. That way, they should not be surprised if you call a fault.
However,
obvious faults should be given immediately, without preventive communication.
Service
faults are many times too close to call. Watching the server, their feet, the
ball, and everything else is very hard and requires practice. In many cases, it
is of no advantage to the server and both sides may be equally close to
faulting, but if there is a complaint by a team; additional care must be taken.
Warn all players, watch the servers on both sides, and treat both sides
equally. Do not focus on just one player. If you need help to make the calls,
ask for it from the tournament desk.
Faults
Make all fault calls
instantly. Any delay is usually caused by indecision and therefore the play
stands. Players get very angry when you call a fault after two or three hits.
It is simply too late. If a player asks, calmly and briefly explain the fault,
but do not elaborate. Stay in your referee position close to the net post.
Replays
Do not let the players talk
you into a replay because of their indecision. These are the only reasons for
replays:
Technical
Warnings and Faults
The referee is empowered to
call technical fouls. When a technical foul is called, one (1) point shall be
added to the score of the abusing player’s opponents. If play is not
immediately resumed, then the referee is empowered to forfeit the match in
favor of the abusing play’s opponents. If a player or team receives two (2)
technical fouls in a match or three (3) during the tournament, then that match
shall automatically result in forfeiture and that team shall be expelled from
the tournament (14M)
·
Profanity
·
Excessive arguing
·
Threats to any
player or the referee.
·
Purposely
breaking the ball or striking the ball between rallies.
·
Throwing the
paddle. This is automatic if it strikes another player, spectator, or damages
the court.
·
Delay of game
·
Any other actions
considered unsportsmanlike behavior.
If a player’s behavior is not
severe enough to warrant a technical foul, a technical warning may be issued.
In most situations, the referee should give a technical warning before issuing
a technical foul (14N).
A
technical foul or warning shall have no effect on service change or side out,
but awarding a point will effect the common rule of where double players should
be standing (odd vs. even).
Report any technical warnings or fouls to the
tournament director immediately after the match and the situation that caused
it.
Removal of a Referee
A referee can only be removed
if both sides agree that the referee assigned is doing a poor job, or at the
discretion of the Tournament Director. If only one side requests removal, it is
up to the Tournament Director to accept or reject the request (14L)
WHAT TO DO
AT THE END OF THE MATCH
GENERAL
ADVICE
If there has been a
discussion of a close call, wait until the point-losing player is not watching
before making eye contact.
Remember,
with Pickleball your focus is on the
non-volley zone not the ball. In most gold medal matches, you also have
line judges to call the ball in or out. But only you can make the call if the
player violates the non-volley zone.
At the conclusion of a match, get off of
the court. Never wait to talk to a
player about a decision or call. Shake hands only if the players offer, thank
your line judges, and then leave the court. If you remain on the court, you
become almost a lightning rod and a very convenient target.
Remember the
following
Sources:
The 1999